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When approached by The Nation on Tuesday, its party leader, Anand Kanchanasuwan, said it was a first interview from any mainstream media.

"The Nation is the first," Anand said. "But the media tend to report news of no substance such as attack by well-known politician Chuwit Kamolvisit. We may be 'decorative flower' in the eyes of the media but those big parties are 'political trash' and the media serves them by spreading the toxic gas from these parties into society."

Anand, a native of Songkhla province who founded the party three years ago, might be discounted as a joke by many in the media, but during last February's election, the party won 300,000 votes for its partylist candidates with many in the northeast and the south voting for the party.

Yet virtually no one in the Bangkok-based media has ever heard of him. Anand who?

 "Those groups that benefit from politics won't let go. And 40 to 50 million Thais are not benefiting from it. Only a few families run Thailand."

The FFP makes no secret about whom they represents - farmers, farmers and more farmers, period. Its party logo is a water buffalo. Anand said sadly that even many poor people laugh at the party logo. "The beast is a symbol of those who lead an independent life, however."

 The 61-year-old Anand, himself a farmer but with a bachelor degree in political science from Sukhothai Thammathiraj Open University, was quick to point out that although a few sons and perhaps daughters of farmers have been elected MPs, he thinks they were eventually co-opted to defend the interests of the political and economic elites. As a result, farmers who form the majority of the population, have no genuine political representation.

 "Farmers have no congress - unlike industrialists or labourers. But once farmers can no longer survive, Thailand will be in chaos. We feed the country and export produce but the more we produce the poorer we become. We're like the feet of society. If they are wounded, would you rather amputate them? If so, how can this society walk?"

 The party's policy is to reduce the clout of large agro-business empires like the CP Group, Anand explains. Bangkok's population should also be reduced and 10 major cities established to promote decentralisation from the capital. If that happens, Anand reckons there will be no need for expensive electric mass transit systems in Bangkok because the city will become less populated.

 The man, who resides in Hat Yai said he will file 30 partylist or proportional candidates this time with himself at number one on the list.

The party's proportional candidacy number is 5 and he will come to Bangkok to organise at least one party campaign rally at Sanam Luang soon.

 "Farmers are not in debt. It's Thailand who is indebted to farmers," he stressed, adding that he's not convinced if the election will take place on December 23 or not.

 There may be another coup, he predicts, just before the election.

"The junta doesn't understand democracy. They gave us shoes but they don't fit and they want to cut our feet to fit the shoes."

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation